COSTA MESA : City Seeks Possible Site for Roller Hockey Rink

The City Council is looking into the possibility of building a roller hockey rink, but may have difficulty finding the space for such a facility.

At its meeting last week, the council asked city staff to investigate whether there is enough room in the city to build the rink.

After discussing the matter, council members concluded that TeWinkle Memorial Park’s dog park precluded construction of a rink there. They put Fairview Park off-limits because the city does not want to inconvenience nearby residents with the noise.

Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis suggested that the private sector build the rink.

“If there’s that much demand for it,” she asked, “why not see if the private sector will step in? Every time you get 12 people who want to build something, it doesn’t mean the government has to do it.”

Councilman Peter F. Buffa also said he would like to see the private sector build the rink.

The idea of the rink surfaced last fall, after the city received two letters suggesting the idea. If a rink were built on city property, Costa Mesa could earn as much as $30,000 annually from a lease agreement and league play, according to the city’s Community Services Department.

Mayor Joe Erickson said he believes a perfect place to build the facility would be at the Orange County Fairgrounds.

“One of the things we’ve discussed is working with the fairgrounds,” Erickson said. “They have a lot of space and a lot of parking.”